🎧 | are we still friends?, michael berzatto.
don’t get green skin (green skin), keep contact (keep contact) / don’t say, "goodbye, smell you later" (bye, later) / nah, i can't / i don't want to end this season on a bad episode.
writing this was really fucking brutal for me. i’ll do something nice and sweet another time because this was rooouuughh.
Established Mikey/You, platonic Richie/You, generally just sad stuff.
request a playlist roulette here!
Being with Mikey was warm. That’s the only way you could describe it. Warm in the way he’d look at you, the way he smiled, laughed. His tendency to touch everyone. Kisses on cheeks and hugs from the side. You wanted that in your life, you welcomed it, warmth and love.
But now it’s cold and the cold is biting. It’s harsh and relentless, seeping through layers of black silk, penetrating the nice coat you bought for this occasion. The cigarette between your lips flares with each inhale, a reddened spark you cup your hands over, in futile hopes that it’ll give off heat. It doesn’t.
“Nice shoes.” You remark the second they’re in your vision, black and shiny. It’s not like you look up, either, staring down at the pavement and Richie’s pointed dress shoes. But you know it’s him: you can smell his cologne mixing with the smoke in the air, creating a scent that’s harsh and bitter but seemingly appropriate.
“Thanks,” He mutters, following your gaze. “Tiff bought ‘em.”
You want to make fun of him. Make some stupid remark, berate him for folding so easily, for doing what she says with no complaint. It’s what you would’ve done, what Mikey would’ve done: Lettin’ her make you pretty, huh? What— you gonna be wearing lipstick next? It’s so close yet so far, you can basically hear it, and you’re sure Richie can hear it too.
“She around here?” You end up asking instead.
And Richie shakes his head, already lighting up a cigarette. “Had to go relieve Eva’s babysitter. Some fuckin’ thirteen year-old from our street.”
“Yeah, well, one day she’s gonna be that thirteen year-old.”
The silence settles between you again, thick but not suffocating. Just there. You’re fine to leave it that way, you’ve been standing here regardless, leaning against a brick wall in the parking lot across from the funeral home. Five cigarette butts have fallen to your feet, and you intend on adding to the pile.
“Heading home after this?” Richie asks.
You don’t look up because you don’t want to see the look on his face. Worry. You hate worry, because you lived in worry. A perpetual fear, an anxiety settled deep in your gut, making your skin tingle and itch. But Mikey never seemed to mind; he taught you not to worry, to laugh more, to care less.
Look where that got you.
“Dunno,” You shrug, dropping the cigarette butt to the floor. It sizzles on some residual snow, which you squish down under your nice heels. “Was gonna try and back out of the lease.”
“Thought you loved that place?” Richie is quick to counter, “Y’know, green tiles and whatnot.”
It was a little apartment, one you’d found after hours of hunting. The green backsplash in the bathroom had caught your attention, and you’d spent days chatting anyone’s ear off about how you’d style it.
But now you shrug it off, appearing indifferent. “It’s not that big a deal.”
It’d been five weeks. Five weeks of domestic bliss, or, your equivalent to that. Of finding little trinkets and unique homewares to furnish the new place. Of getting excited after work, because you get to come home to your boyfriend, instead of an empty bed.
Boxes were still shoved into most corners of the place, not yet unpacked. For a moment you wondered if that was the intention. That, in not unpacking, Mikey was saving you the grief of eventually removing his presence from your place. He was making it easier, cutting out the middleman.
“Maybe Chicago isn’t for me.”
The words slip from your mouth before you can stop them, and you’ve finally looked up, meeting Richie’s gaze. It’s odd because he’s looking at you, and not at the same thing, like his mind is elsewhere. You get it. Your mind is also elsewhere.
“Fuckin’ stupid,” He mutters, shaking his head. “That’s bullshit and you know it.”
So you shrug, another cigarette pinched between your teeth. You don’t remember lighting it. This weird haze has you on autopilot, you’ve been in it all morning. Maybe all week.
“I dunno. Might be good to get away for a bit.” You try to justify.
“Nah, fuck that. You’re not goin’ all alien on us,” Richie continues to contest. “There are people here for you. Y’know.. Tina ‘n all the cooks, and fuckin’.. fucking Fak, and Nat.”
“Natalie said—“
“I know what she fuckin’ said, it’s bullshit.”
Richie flicks out his cigarette, letting it drop into your little pile. His jacket is ironed and those shiny shoes are covered in snow, and for the first time in ages, he looks nice. You notice it. You notice the effort he’s put in, despite everything, and you know he feels the way you do.
“Here’s what’s gonna happen,” He begins. “You’re gonna come to The Beef once a week. Eat a sandwich, talk to us, ‘n shit. And you’re gonna come to family, too. Always.”
There’s a grimace on your face at the idea. Stepping foot in the restaurant seems like a colossal task, let alone attending family. Because that’s the thing, you weren’t family, not anymore. You’d hoped that one day you would be, for certain, a Berzatto. And now that wouldn’t happen.
“I’ll try.” You end up saying, even if dread builds in your stomach. It’s the most you can do.
Richie seems to understand, letting the silence linger for another moment. “C’mon,” He sighs. “We’re getting a drink. I’m gonna pull one smile outta you tonight.”
The notion of smiling, today, seems foreign. Yet you obey regardless, following along as Richie’s hand finds your back, and he swipes the cigarette from your mouth to throw into the snow.
It ends up being a good night. As good as it can be, at least. Each memory shared, each story told is laced with an underlying bitterness, something that settles on your tongue and behind your eyes. It’s thick and equally cold as the air; prickling like goosebumps. Richie feels it too. Everyone does, but you convince yourself that it’s not forever, that it’ll go away and the warmth will return.
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Against all odds (Alfie Solomons x fem!oc) Part 12. -End of the first half-
Peaky Blinders - Hunger Games crossover
Masterlist. Parts One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Nine Ten Eleven
Summary: Finally the 75th Hunger Games started. From the Parade to the interview with Caesar Flickerman, Alfie and the rest of the rebel victors, express their thoughts about this new Quarter Quell. No one is happy. || Finally Rose's plan is revealed. || The Arena is harder than any of them expected and it shows that their bodies, mind and hearts are nothing but puppets for the Capitol.
Warnings: Angst. Blood. Death.
Words: 6.5K. || I know is long, but a lot of things are happening at the same time so it's easy to read. The longest part is the Arena but it's also dynamic.
Thanks to those who read this first half of the story. See you soon in district 13.
It was the morning after the announcement that Rose composed herself and the anger made her be more awake.
Snow didn't know the things she was capable of doing for her husband. Maybe she couldn't save him for going to the Arena again, but she was going to prevent him to die there.
She had nothing to lose. Nothing.
"Do you have it?" she asked Aberama the night of the 3rd of July. Next morning the eyes of Panem were going to be in the different districts where their old champions will be reaped again. One day later after that, they will be arriving to Panem. Before that moment Rose needed that thing she begged him to get.
"I have it, it's made especially for him. Do you understand? Just for him."
"I know."
Aberama gave her a golden locket with a wheat ear on it. Inside, was what she wanted.
"How much?"
"It's nothing. I paid for it."
"Thanks."
"Don't worry. See you , Rose."
-
It was raining in district 9 during the reaping day. Alfie and Nina walked to the square where the stage was, escorted by two peacekeepers. In case they just wanted to escape. To where! As if they had any other options.
Alissa was there but the usually cheerful woman was a shadow of herself. Her eyes were red, as she had been crying. But she did her best as soon as the cameras started to record her.
"Welcome to the reaping day for the 75th Hunger Games! Let's make this quick before the rain ruin our hair. As always, ladies first…"
Alissa gave Nina a sad smile before reading her name.
"Nina Ferrante! Come, love. You're beautiful as ever, sweetheart," she said once Nina was next to her. The young woman didn't talk. "And now the boys! Alfred Solomons! Here, Alfie dear. Ladies and gentlemen, the tributes of District 9!"
Nina couldn't say goodbye to anyone of her family. Alfie had no one.
Both of them were forced to enter the train as soon as the ceremony ended and they went directly to the Capitol. In the other wagons, their friends from district 12, 11 and 10 where already there. There was no mystery for the people who were there. Same as them, Lucy and Tommy were the only ones from 12 and Eva and Matt were the only ones from 10. 11 had three victors and Alfie preyed that Aveline weren't one of them. She was not just one of the people he just couldn't kill ever, but also was a reckless woman. If she had to kill, then she will.
Luckily for him, Aveline wasn't part of the tributes.
"I'm sorry," said Alissa, "I'm so sorry."
Alissa part of thre crew as much as Rose and both victors were. In fact, she was the first one. She was there with Alfie when he was reaped 20 years ago. She saw him became a victor and a mentor. Alissa like no one, literally no one, cheered the romance between him and Rose. Alissa celebrate with them when Nina won. So, of course the woman was sad and was upset too. They were her people and her boss had no mercy of them.
"It's okay, Alissa. It's okay," Alfie said squishing her shoulder briefly. No one of them talked again during the journey.
.
Rose was shaking. After a all those months apart, she was going to see Alfie again.
"For a last time", said a part of her brain. A very negative part of her. But she ignored the voice.
Unlike other people, she wasn't waiting for them in the main hall but in the ninth floor. There was so much she wanted to tell him, but she couldn't.
Alfie pushed the door violently and enter there.
"Sweetheart? Rosie are you here?"
"Al!"
She jumped in his arms and hid her head on his neck. She was sobbing against him. Alissa and Nina left them alone.
"Don't cry anymore, luv."
"I can't.
"Snow will need more than a bunch of mutts and deathly tributes to apart me from you. He has no idea."
Rose kissed him and Alfie picked her up and went to the bedroom.
"I love you," he said "you saved me, sweetheart. So stop thinking that you failed me. If someone never failed me that's you."
"Don't you think I'm the one to blame for this? After that infamous auction, things went from bad to worse. He killed my family and now…"
"I'm still here, Rosie. My Rosie. I don't blame you. Never okay?"
"You didn't deserve this."
"You neither."
Alfie hugged her resting his head against her chest. Feeling her soft skin, hearing the beat of her heart. Remembering her like never before because in that hell called Arena, she wasn't allowed to go with him.
She caressed his hair, while she felt tears running down her cheeks.
.
Night arrived sooner that they wished. Rose apologized with them because the costumes they were wearing were really big and heavy. Plus bith of them were carrying scythes, representing the wheat fields of their native district.
Staff from the Capitol helped Nina to get in the chariot. Alfie stood up next to his wife few more minutes. They were kissing. People were looking at him, Snow probably was looking them, but it did matter anymore.
"You need to trust me," she said, pulling apart.
"I tru-"
"No, you don't understand. I need YOU to trust me like never before. Alfie, I can't stay. If I stay, Snow will kill me. You're the untouchable, at least for this week, but not me."
"What? What do you mean? Rose! What's happening!!"
"You'll understand once the parade start. Do you remember what I said to you two, minutes ago? Untie the black ribbon half way through the runway. Something will happen."
"You go?"
"I have to. For you, for me. Because if they killed me, it's over and tonight is the night. This," she said touching his costume, "is a big fuck you to him. I didn't told you this morning because I wanted to pretend that we could be together as always. I'm heading to you know where. I'll see you in a week. I promise. You'll be fine. Me too. You're the best thing I have, no one can steal that. I love you, Al. I love you, I always did."
"Rosie!! No!"
"I need you to trust me. Trust me. Just trust me. I love you. Only you."
Alfie was forced to get in the chariot once the Panem's anthem started to sound.
Last time he saw his wife was when the horses started to run and Rose was walking through the multitude towards the street. A white car was waiting for her. She didn't saw people's reaction to her final costumes.
.
Alfie and Nina untied the ribbons that Rose said and the surprise inside the capes she made for them was revealed.
Hundreds, thousands, of dandelions flew away in the air. Dancing around both tributes, the little white puffy flowers, formed a kind of magical mist that reached the tributes behind them. At the same time, the gold capes they were wearing started to burn and the warm gold fabric disappeared. Now the capes were dark black.
District 9, carriyng the scythes and the black capes were now the Reaper. And the Reaper was exactly in front of Snow.
Some dandelions were still around them. And the black capes made them more visible to the eyes of Coriolanus Snow who had a sinister smile in his face.
.
"Do you really expected to see her here?" the woman said to the peacekeepers who entered abruptly in the ninth floor, following the orders of their President. "She's not here fucking losers."
"Where the fuck is she!!" A tall man, broaded shoulders and deep voice was pointing at the woman with a gun.
"As if I know… and even if I know, I won't tell you."
"Take her!" the man ordered "and register this fucking place!"
The rest of the peacekeepers didn't found anything. The only thing left in Rose's bedroom was a plate of fortune cookies that the soldiers didn't bother to touch.
Maybe they should have.
Later that night a gunshot could be heard in that illegal prison. Defending her friend, Alissa, the sweet escort from district 9 was dead.
.
Lawrence Evert saw his wife entering their manor sweating and started to put some things in a bag.
"We need to go, now!"
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"Rebels are coming soon, Lawrence. And no matter what the fuck do you think, this city isn't safe and can't contain them."
"What!!?"
"Rebels, Lawrence!! And the richest people of the Capitol are in danger. Your friend Matthew is waiting for you. Some of others too. There's a car waiting for us. We need to go, now! They want to kill you."
"Tonight is the presentation! They can't!"
"They can! And they will, we need to go, goddamn, let's go, Lawrence!!"
Lawrence Evert looked at Rose confused but her anxiety and yells didn't allow him to think clearly. Rose gave him the bag and almost pushed them into the same white car that she arrived with there.
"Where are we going?"
"The safest place I know."
.
Nina and Alfie saw the chaos in their floor when they arrived after the parade. The chairs were over the carpet, some flowerpots were broken, the bedrooms' doors were open, same as the closets.
Alissa was nowhere to be seen.
"Are you sure Rose left?"
"She told me so. Trust me, she said."
"Then, what happened here?!"
"Snow wants her dead. I think the peacekeepers believed she was here but she's not" Alfie guessed.
Nina didn't say more, even when probably she wanted to add something. Instead started to pickup the chairs and threw away the broken things. Alfie went to Rose's bedroom and there he saw the fortune cookies. Unlike the soldiers, he did pay attention to them.
It didn't take long for him to put them in order and read the hidden message. Alfie opened a drawer and there he found the locket. Inside, was exactly what the message that Rose left for him, said. Alfie closed the locket again and from that moment he carried with him at all hours.
Trust me, like never before.
.
Two years earlier.
The Capitol considered the previous Arenas touristic places. If you paid, you could visit them and walk through the same places where the victors won and where the other children were massacred.
First time Rose visited one of the Arena, she did it with a tour group. She paid for visiting the volcano island where Aveline Young won. The volcano obviously was off but being there you could see its magnitude. The surrounding lands where fertile and full of trees.
That week, she visited several of them.
The other week she went with Aberama and Bonnie. Previous to that Aberama visited the Arena where Alfie won. The frozen forest was the only place that Rose couldn't go yet.
And the next month she paid for a tour just for the three of them. No other people were allowed, it was a private trip. And when it was the about money, the Capitol never asked questions. Of all the Arenas, three were the chosen to visit again: the volcano island, the desert and the frozen forest.
The tour guide never noticed the different electronic devices that the Golds and Rose put in every single one of them.
The reasons behind it, started when Rose began to work as official stylist for district 9. Only that as the years passed, her initial plan started to change. And during the 73th games she had everything planned.
She needed to wait two years until the Quarter Quell.
Now.
Rose was hidden. For a week she had to be strong like Alfie and for Alfie. It won't be easy, but he was living something much, much worse. At least she could close her eyes and pretend, Alfie couldn't.
Aberama and Bonnie were far away from their house. The night after he gave her the necklace they went to district 3, where everyone were working in the plan. It had to be district 3, not just the people that Aberama contacted were smart, they were loyal. And because district 3 had a man who few could dare to confront. Mr. Von Trapp.
Georg Von Trapp was one of the first rebels. Born three years after the begging of the games, the man lived his whole life under the regime of tyrants during almost 20 years. When Snow became President he lived under the regime of the Devil.
He had only one daughter and he was lucky enough to see her back after she was reaped. His girl, nicknamed Wiress, was the first victor of district 3. Smart like anyone else he knew, until he met Beetee, Wiress was the perfect example that a strong body wasn't always the answer.
And Von Trapp was furious now. They promised not to touch her again. Immunity, they said. Until they shitted on their own words and Wiress was forced to go to the Arena again. After her games, Wiress couldn't speak again. Her mind wasn't the same again, but she was still incredible smart. Her father took care of her until the moment that Snow asked for her again.
So, yes, Van Trapp wanted to help the rebels because he waited 72 years to that moment.
Aberama, his son and part of his people were hiding there. And for the last two years, they had been illegally transporting technological devices. The kind of things you could find in the Capitol's underworld where the Golds were kings.
Why Rose spied the control centre in the Capitol for 13 years? Why did she risk everything year after year to do that?
To built a Control Centre 2.0. This one in hands of the rebels. The data collected helped the people from 3 to built computers and the same softwares that the gamemakers had. The spiders she bought years ago and that she introduced in the central, gave them the information that she couldn't collect listening to them.
The folders, the USB flashes, her own computer were part of them. And it was worth.
That's why Rose and the Golds went to the old Arenas. Because they reactived the old softwares there. The Capitol used those places as tourism, they didn't need them like in the past.
But the rebels had other plans. The 76th Hunger Games were in their hands.
And the tributes were the pedophiles.
.
While Rose was hidden with the rest of the members of the auctions making them believe that she was part of them, while they were unaware of their fate, Alfie and the rest were facing the final presentation.
Rose left a dress for Nina and a matching suit for Alfie. The blue-grey dress for her was made of silk and tulle and had little silver dandelions embroidered on it. Alfie's suit, was made of the same silk, but the dandelions decorated the inner jacket and the lapels.
"So tell us, Alfie!" said Caesar smiling and showing his artificial white teeth " I wasn't here as interviewer last time you were sitting here. This is the first time we met. Let me tell you that it's a pleasure. So please, tell about you after all these years!"
"There's no much to say, Caesar. Life is quite simple in district 9. Same birds chirping, same neighbours."
"No love?"
Alfie chuckled "yes, I'm married."
"That's wonderful!! Do you love her? Or him?"
"Her. I do love her, yes. And I promise to see her again."
"Let me tell you something, Alfie: You win and you will be happy with her. Anything else you want to say?"
"Yes. Fuck you, Snow."
_
Alfie and Nina were separated the morning of the beginning of the Games. They gave them a wetsuit, so Alfie understood that he needed to swim, even if he never swam before. It couldn't be that difficult, right?
Besides he couldn't imagine long distances. The Capitol wanted blood and inside the water they won't get that. They needed land.
The peacekeeper who was with him to make sure he get into the tube, didn't stop to glance at him.
"What?" he asked. The man shook his head but then spoke, almost whispering.
"Your wife says that she's thinking of you."
"What!?"
"There are rebels everywhere, Alfie, like dandelions. I work for Mr. Gold and my brother is with her!"
"Is she okay? Is my Rosie fine?"
"I saw my brother four days ago, she knew I was going to be with you, so she sent the message through ny brother. She was okay back then. It's complicated to keep in touch these days. But I assure you that if my brother is with her, she's fine."
60…59…58…57…56…
Alfie got into the tube and looked at the soldier. "Thanks."
"Good luck, Mr. Solomons."
The peacekeeper saluted him before turning around while, he was ascending.
The sunlight blinded him for a moment. He couldn't see Nina but he saw Lucy's red hair next to him. She didn't smiled but nodded at him.
35…34…33…
Tommy, Eva and Jack were five spots away from him. Finally he saw Nina, she was next to the morphlings from district 6.
15…14…13…
Lucy pointed with her head to the nearest beach and Alfie nodded.
3…2…1. Bang.
The Quarter Quell officially begun. Alfie jumped into the water towards the beach, the cornucopia could wait. He needed to be safe first, to think a plan later. He underestimated the power and the resistance of the water. His arms ached but finally he reached the beach where he was able to breathe. Lucy was next to him, but her green eyes were looking around them.
"He's on the other side," Alfie said pointing with his finger. Jack's height was visible in the distance and Eva and Tommy were with him. Nina, on the other hand…
"We need to hide," she said even when she wanted to run through the lake again towards him. But in between both groups were the strongest ones: The woman from district 2 and the siblings from 1 (It was lucky for them that Jack wasn't a career anymore) So, Lucy knew that run to be with Tommy was impossible now.
They got in the forest. And walked, first, towards the place where Nina supposedly was.
Lucy and Alfie heard five canon shots. That night, they were knew who they were. Neither of the friends wanted to think that was one of them.
Suddenly it started to rain. Lucy screamed and soon after her, Alfie grunted. That wasn't water. It was blood. She started to run ignoring the odor and Alfie went behind her.
"What's happening!" Alfie heard Lucy but he couldn't respond. The smell of blood was nauseous.
If someone was behind them, they ignored it. The only thing that Alfie and Lucy knew was that the gamemakers were pushing them again to the beach.
A familiar voice made them to stop. Nina and Danny Owen were running towards them. But an invisible and electric wall prevented them to be together.
"To the shore! Run to the shore!" yelled Nina pointing with her finger to the West of them. "To the shore!"
Lucy and Alfie nodded.
It took them about an hour to did it. The thirst was burning their throats but there was nothing to drink. The lake was salty and, on purpose, the Gamemakers didn't leave a source of water for them.
"Where's the rest?" asked Nina.
"We saw Tommy, Eva and Jack on the other side of the Arena," replied Alfie but that was hours ago. "Did you see the bloody rain?"
"What rain? The blood on you is a rain?"
"Yes. But… if you didn't see the rain, then?"
"Monkey-mutts tried to attack us," Danny said, "they're enormous. They killed the male tribute of 7."
The four of them remained in silence. As far as they know, there were six deaths now. Maybe not all of them were friends, but they knew them. Some of them were their colleagues for decades.
A bolt made them jump on their feet. It seemed to come to their left. The four of them were alert.
"What the hell is this Arena?!" Lucy asked, almost yelled.
"We need to move. We need to find the rest," Alfie said. "But we need weapons first. Do you have something, Nina?"
"I stole two knives from the tribute of 7."
"It's not fucking enough. We need to go to the Cornucopia."
"It's suicidal."
"It's suicidal too stay here with two fucking knives. You stay here with Lucy, if necessary run an look for the rest."
"Alfie…"
"You disobeyed me during your games, you're not going to do it now! And I'll not take another answer from you than a yes, Ferrante! I'm going to the Cornucopia and if you have to run, then run!" Alfie pointed at her with his finger "I'm trying to save you."
To calm the situation, because Nina was about to reply, Danny spoke "I go with you." And Alfie nodded.
The rocks were slippery. More than once both men had to control their balance to not end in the water.
As suspected, the Cornucopia wasn't empty. Three tributes were fighting there and one of them was Tommy.
The male tribute from 4, the woman from 2 versus him. It was Alfie who grabbed the back of the neck of the man and pushed him away from his friend. Alfie, who promised not to kill again, smashed the head of the man against the Cornucopia until his blood painted its the silver wall and the tribute fell dead in front of him.
"I'm sorry, man, I'm sorry."
Enobaria was a whole other story. Two men against her and she was ready to kill them and Alfie and then take a nap if it was necessary. She was fearless and strong. Dangerous combination.
Tommy and Danny, managed to dismantle her but still she had her teeth. Sharped teeth, perfect for destroy throats.
And to Tommy and Alfie's horror, that was what happened. One moment Danny Owen was with them and the other, Enobaria jumped in the water and stuck her teeth in him. The transparent water was soon dyed with red and neither of Enobaria or Danny were there anymore. She, because she swam to the other side of the lake and Danny because he was dead. And the sound of the cannon confirmed it.
"Are you okay?" Alfie asked. "He was a close friend of yours. I'm sorry mate, I'm sorry."
"Yeah. He was. He was" Tommy sighed and looked again at the water. There was one of those people who deserved better. But that was no time, nor place, to mourn. "Where's the rest?"
With a gesture of his hand, Alfie indicated Lucy and Nina that it was safe to cross the rocks. While Lucy and Tommy finally were reunited, Nina and Alfie picked up several weapons. And all of them went to the side of the shore where Eva and Jack were. Aurora, the pregnant girl of the previous year was with them.
Night was finally approaching. All of them were hungry but most of all, thirsty.
The very familiar music made them raise their heads. The fallen tributes of the first night. The image of Danny made them realise that any of them could be the next.
A new sound, diverted their attention from the sky. It was a gift that landed just in front of Alfie. He opened it and saw the little note on it.
'Stay hydrated. I love you- R. Solomons.'
Nina smiled "if she would, this woman would give you her own life."
"I know."
Inside the box was a thing that Eva indentified as a spile. "To drink water," she said. Her aunt had one and during the hot summers in district 10, they nailed one in the trees and that way they could get water.
When Alfie stood up and walked towards the nearest tree and did exactly what Eva said, for a moment nothing happened but after few seconds water started to fall of it. Never in his life Alfie enjoyed drinking water like in that moment. Not just him, the rest of them too.
Alfie wasn't sure if his wife was watching, but a 'thank you' directed to her scaped from his lips.
But that was one the last moment of peace they had. It was impossible for them to rest, the Arena was designed to tired them to death. Literally. They lay down in the sand watching the sky. Alfie allowed himself to close his eyes and fall asleep for what he thought it was an hour. A yelled woke him up. Eva was running from what it seemed to be a fog. Alfie was still confused.
"It burns!! It burns!"
He was running behind his friends. Eva was still screaming and holding her arm. Aurora sprained her ankle running and Jack carried her on her back.
"Keep running!" her husband to her. The extra weight was making him stay way behind the group.
The toxic fog reached Lucy back and it was Tommy who pushed her to him but it seemed that her whole body was paralyzed. And it was. "I can't move!! I can't move!! My muscles!! Tommy!!"
Nina stopped and both of them dragged her away from it before it was too late. Luckily she was tiny, but it felt like carring a furniture. Lucy was complete paralyzed.
They reached a new part of the forest and the fog started to disappear.
"Where's Jack! Where's Jack!!?" Eva was searching around them but he wasn't there. Aurora either.
"Evie!!" his voice reached their ears but he wasn't there. It was few meters away with Aurora in his arms. The girl was crying. "No!! No! Stay there!!"
Jack warned her and the rest. The same invisible wall that earlier that day separated Alfie from Nina was now between Eva an Jack.
"I'll find a way. Stay fucking there! Fuck, this fucking place!! Fuck you, Snow!! FUCK YOU!!" The big, tall man helped the girl to stood up and both of them disappeared in the trees.
The group was again separated.
While Lucy started to recover the control of her limbs. They couldn't stay there as Jack ordered because a familiar scream made Alfie startled.
"Alfie? Alfie? HELP ME, ALFIE! HELP ME!! AL, WHERE ARE YOU? HELP ME!!"
"Rosie? Rosie, love?" he started to run but he didn't know where.
"ALFIE!! ALFIEEE!"
The screams where everywhere and they were different voices.
"Mommy? Mommy!!"
"Laurie? They have my kid! They have my kid!" Eva was running in s different direction of Alfie.
Nina was in the floor covering her ears with her hands. "They're jabberjays!! It's not real, it's not them!! Just jabberjays!!" but either of them were listening to her.
The voice of his brother Arthur made Tommy run to the deepest forest, Lucy followed the screams of her brother Teddy.
"ALFIE!! ALFIE!!"
"Stop!! STOP!! Rosie!! Rosie!! They're torturing her!! Snow found her!!"
Nina tried to ignore the screams. The voices were too familiar for her, but she knew it wasn't real. And grabbing her friend's shoulder forced him to listen to her. "It's not her, Alfie!! It's not her!! There are jabberjays, look!! Birds!! It's not Rose!!"
"They imitate, Nina!!"
"Not this time!! Not this time, Alfie!! Listen to me!! Not to them!! They generated their voices!"
The birds started to attack him, torturing him with his wife's screams but Nina covered his ears and made him to look at her. "It's false. It's false."
As soon as started, it was over.
Humiliated, defeated. That was how the group was. Physically and mentally drained. Eva was still crying and Nina, once again, was the one to say that it wasn't real. It was never real.
"I'll try to fish," Nina said when she managed to calm the most nervous of them. "We need to eat."
The sun was up again. It seemed that the nights were shorter and the days extremely long. Nina left the group near the trees and grabbed a spear.
But it seemed that the Arena finished with their torture yet. This time, and just minutes after she went to the lake, all of them recognised Nina's screams.
-
Far away from the Arena, Rose and the rest of the members of the auction finally started to move. Rose was leaving the Capitol, forever.
A hovercraft landed where they were and the richest people of the Capitol, those who were part of the trauma the victors' had, got in.
"Where are we going?" Lawrence asked.
"You to the 62th," replied a girl around 20 years old. She was Bonnie's girlfriend, disguised as member of the Capitol. "Give me your arm, Mr. Evert."
"What the hell is this?!" He said as the girl injected him a microchip.
"A tracker. So we can find you after is over."
"What? What're you doing? Rosebeth!! What's this shit?"
"The safest place, Lawrence. The old Arenas. No one is going looking for you there."
Nor anywhere else.
Lawrence and the rest, started to protest. They weren't doing it. Treated like filthy tributes from the disgusting districts. They were millionaires, billionaires, they were more important than any rebels. But as soon as Bonnie's girl mentioned that their head had prices and the rebels weren't interested in their money as method to leave them alone, they calmed. Not all of them were going to be together. And either of them were going to survive these Games.
The first time that the hovercraft landed again it was in the volcano island. Some people as Matthew Sutton were there.
Lawrence Evert and the group he was in, landed in the dry, deathly desert where Eva Smith won.
"May the odds be ever in your favour, son of the bitch" yelled Rose to his husband with the biggest smile he saw in her ever. Followed by showing him her middle finger.
"Come back, bitch! Come back!!"
Too late Lawrence Evert realised that it was a trap.
Only one person member of the auction was still there apart from Rose and it was laughing.
"I should've known… let me guess. The 53th Arena."
"Yes," replied Rose.
In front of her was the woman who raped Alfie. Old now, but the same disgusting woman who the love of her life mentioned.
"There are any rebels. You're the rebel."
"There are rebels. Everywhere, like dandelions."
"It was consensual," she said, after a moment in silence. Her grey cold eyes were on her.
"No. It wasn't. He was terrified of you. He still has nightmares… and you're going to pay for it. Happy Hunger Games, ma'am."
The frozen forest was beautiful as it was tremulous. White but dark. That was the first time that Rose was there and she barely imagined Alfie's pain. He was a kid.
"I'll kill her," she whispered to Tina, the girl.
"That wasn't part of the plan! Rose if your stay here, I don't know if we will be able to rescue! We can't stay without bringing Snow's attention to us! And tonight we need to save th group!"
"Then go. This fucker ruined Alfie's life. Because of her, he lived traumatized for almost a decade! I need to kill her!!"
"Rose…"
"It's my fucking choice, Tina. Tell your friend to land this ship and then go."
Tina wasn't sure but nodded. She gave Rose her own jacket, matches, a ligther and ordered the rebel pilot to give her his gloves.
"We will back in an hour."
"Just go!"
-
At the same time that Tina and Rose were debating what to do. The official Arena had his own drama.
Alfie was furious and was all adrenaline. He wasn't thinking. They killed Danny in front of him, Jack was missing somewhere in the Arena and he was still traumatized for the attack of the jabberjays.
"Alfie! Help me, Alfie!"
Rosie's voice. Her screams.
Then he saw that man with his hands in Nina's neck, and Alfie went blind. Maybe he wasn't 17 anymore, but he was stronger than his younger version. His fist found the man's jaw and thanks to that he released Nina.
"Run!!" he ordered. Nina didn't dare to contradict him.
She found the few members of the original team that were still there.
Alfie was fighting in the water with the other one. Both were big, both killed before and both were ready to do it again.
"He's going to kill Alfie!! Tommy!! He's going to kill him!!"
From the seashore Tommy, Lucy, Nina and Eva were looking at his friend fighting with the male tribute. That man was Glass.
But his friends couldn't allowed it. Eva grabbed Nina's arm when she tried to run and help her former mentor.
"Let me go!"
"Nina, no!! If I let you go, you're dead! You can't fight Gloss! You can't! He's going to kill you like nothing! How many more are we going to lose!! For god's sake!! You can't do anything!!"
While Eva was forcing Nina to stay still. Lucy and Tommy went towards them. Lucy had their knives and Tommy and arrow and a bow.
The Arena started to move when both threw their weapons. Two things happened simultaneously: Lucy's knife ended in Glass' throat.
And Tommy's Arrow ended in Alfie's eye.
Glass fell first, already dead, in the water. The sound of the cannon made it official.
Alfie was still on his feet. Tommy watched horrified how his friend had his arrow standing out of his face. Trying to understand what happened. Alfie touched his face and saw blood in his hands.
Nina was screaming from the seashore, watching the scene with Eva still hugging her.
Lucy was petrified.
Alfie finally fell on his knees and landed on his side with the back to them. A new cannon shot made their nightmares come true and they saw the hovercraft picking up his body.
-
"You need to trust me like never before."
Alfie gasped as if he had been under water and finally was able to breathe again. He found himself in a strecher with an oxygen mask on his face.
"Welcome back, Alfie."
Looking around him, he just saw different medical devices.
The arrow. Alfie touched his face only to find that it was covered with bandages. He wasn't in pain, probably thanks to the anesthesia.
And that could explain why he was extremely confused.
At his side was a man with brown hair and a smile that looked familiar to him.
"You're safe. Just rest. Sleep that everything is fine."
Alfie was too sleepy to react and just closed his eyes. He couldn't even think why that man's smile was so damn familiar when he didn't know him.
.
The remaining members of the group were in silence. Unaware that Alfie was alive, they felt like living a nightmare.
Jack and Aurora were lost. Alfie and Danny dead and weren't signals of the rebels to rescue them.
A new sponsor sent a package for them. This time for Nina. Inside was a compass and a note "Always go to the North." It was anonymous.
"To the North? What's there?"
"The tree," said Lucy. "That one."
The tallest tree, the one where the bolt every now and then struck it. They had nothing to lose, except their lives. But Eva was reticent.
"No without Jack. I won't go anywhere with out Jack!!"
"When need to move! We are too exposed here! Not all the remaining tributes are allies, Eva! And he's alive! He's the strongest of us and he has Aurora with him! He's protecting the girl! And can't protect you if you stay here!" Tommy said.
Eva was tired, like the rest of them, but the idea of going there and lost Jack was horrible.
.
"Are you ready?"
One of the rebels, one of the most loyal men that Aberama had, asked to his partner and this one nodded.
"It's now or never. The hovercraft is ready to pick up the rest of them. We sent them messages to reunite them under the tree."
And both rebels pushed the bottom. The whole Capitol trembled. It felt like an Earthquake, but in a small proportion. Debris and dirt flew everywhere, like confetti. When everything settled, the disaster could be seen.
The majestic, big, luxurious building. That building that for over 60 years received tributes from all around Panem and that was the symbol of power, wasn't there anymore. And inside it, the Control Centre of the games with all of the gamemakers there, where now part of the history. Tons and tons of debris and rubble were over him.
The dome that was protecting the arena was deactivated with the explosion.
And several hovercraft appeared in the sky. In one of them were Eva, Lucy, Nina and Tommy. But Jack wasn't there. Neither was Aurora. The rebel hovercraft left the Arena towards district 13. Inside, Eva was still claiming for Jack. But no one listened to her. They needed to escape.
.
At the same time, in district 3, under the orders of Aberama and Mr. Van Trapp they activated the new control centre. And the tvs around Panem showed now three different but familiar Arenas.
"Welcome to the 76th Hunger Games!" A voice said. "Do you want to know our new tributes?"
The cameras that the Golds installed in the frozen forest, showed bloody footsteps that disappeared in the trees. And in middle of the scenery, surrounded by her own blood, was the body of an old woman.
Second part.
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